Canoe Events Added to the III Ciutat de Palma Canoeing Competition

The countdown to the III Ciutat de Palma Canoeing Competition is already under way. Organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP), the event will return to Parc de la Mar on 19 September, with the addition of the C1 canoe category as its main new feature.

The previous two editions, which were exclusively open to kayak categories, were held in October to coincide with Spain’s National Day. However, refurbishment works scheduled by Palma City Council at Parc de la Mar have forced the organisers to bring this year’s event forward by almost a month.

Registration is now open for the Open categories, which will once again give paddlers the opportunity to compete against some of the world’s leading figures in the sport. The highest-ranked competitors will qualify for the Elite competition, featuring invited athletes of the highest international calibre, including Olympic, world and European champions.

“The addition of C1 completes the representation of all the traditional sprint canoeing and kayaking categories within the Ciutat de Palma format,” explained Carlos Borrás, event coordinator and RCNP coach. “We want the competition to continue growing and offering new challenges to the world’s best athletes, while maintaining a distinctive format that is highly attractive for spectators.”

The format will remain one of the event’s main distinguishing features. Competitors will race on a sprint course specifically designed for Parc de la Mar, with the start and finish in the same location and a buoy turn that makes every heat both tactically demanding and highly spectacular.

The team competition will also evolve to accommodate the addition of canoe events. Each team will comprise two male kayakers, two female kayakers, one male canoeist and one female canoeist, combining Elite athletes with competitors from the Open categories, who will therefore have the opportunity to race alongside some of the leading specialists on the international circuit.

The programme will also retain some of the events that generated the greatest interest in previous editions, including the mixed relay and the popular pairs competition featuring Olympic athletes alongside promising young paddlers, an initiative that brings the sport’s elite closer to the next generation.

The III Ciutat de Palma Canoeing Competition is organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, with the support of Palma City Council and the collaboration of Nelo Kayaks, Paddle Games, the Royal Spanish Canoeing Federation and the Balearic Canoeing Federation.